U.S. fighter jets were deployed on Sunday to intercept two aircraft that breached restricted airspace near President Donald Trump’s New Jersey golf club while he was attending a tournament on the premises.
What we know:
North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) F-16 fighter jets intercepted the general aviation aircraft after they violated Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) in place over the Bedminster area.
FOX News Digital reports three aircraft were intercepted, including a third aircraft that triggered an alert and delayed Trump's departure by 13 minutes.
The first two aircraft were safely escorted out of the restricted area by NORAD aircraft, while the third "reestablished communications and became compliant before NORAD intervention was required."
What they're saying:
In light of the airspace breach, First Air Force relayed a reminder for all general aviation pilots to check Federal Aviation Administration Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) before flying.
Dig deeper:
If a pilot is intercepted by NORAD aircraft, military protocol dictates that they should immediately turn around to reverse course and tune their radios to frequency 121.5 or 243.0 to await further instructions.
What we don't know:
It is not clear if the airspace breach was an accidental navigational error or intentional. Officials have yet to say if the pilots will face any penalties.
The Source: Information from this article was sourced from FOX News, First Air Force and the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.